Big in Belgium

What do Motormusic and Option Media have in common besides their hometown of Mechelen in Belgium? First and foremost, an impressive taste in pro audio equipment. Also, both of them recently upgraded their monitoring systems to Dolby Atmos. To achieve outstanding results, both facilities rely heavily on Neumann's renowned KH Series.

When options lead to the right decision

In business for more than 30 years, Option Media is known for providing great sounding audio productions for high-profile films. In fact, the spacious studio complex, which also boasts a fully integrated state-of-the-art cinema, is one of the hottest locations for full-service video and audio post-production in the Benelux region. During a recent upgrade of the studio’s entire infrastructure, which included the installation of a brand new Dolby Atmos system, the pro audio team members also considered an entirely new monitor setup. ​

Option Media’s services range from dubbing and dialog editing to sound design, foley recording and mixing. Over the years, their expertise has been incorporated into many high-profile films and series such as The Inseparables, the Lego Movies, Roberto Benigni's Pinocchio and also series like Geldvolven and #LikeMe. Especially when editing complex mixes, dialog or detailed foley work, a reliable, high-quality speaker environment is crucial to the results and to the optimal translation of the audio material in different playback scenarios. As Senior Engineer Bart Vanvoorden was already fascinated by his beloved K+H O 300 monitors, the choice of their successor, the Neumann KH 310, was the next logical step. This led to a complete Neumann setup throughout the studios. The original pair of O 300s are still in use in one of the smaller audio suites.

Conveniently, the Atmos mixing room at Option Media is fully sizeable, with plenty of seating and a highly comfortable workspace. The installed 7.1.4 Atmos setup features a trio of KH 420s covering the L-C-R array, which is visually hidden behind a projector screen, accompanied by KH 310s and a KH 870 subwoofer. A pair of KH 310s is also used to mix TV and Internet content. By using the larger loudspeaker models, Option Media's sound engineers are able to achieve the most accurate mixing conditions for the cinema, as well as taking advantage of the wide dynamic range available in the Atmos format. Or as Bart put it: “Dynamics are fun…that's what makes the movie experience.”

Motormusic and the Evil Penguin

Just a ten-minute drive across town is Motormusic, a renowned studio complex with three decades of audio production experience. Their thought process may have been slightly different, but ultimately came to the same conclusion.

The media company and its affiliated record label, Evil Penguin, publish world-class music and video content with a strong focus on classical music. For example, a recent production of Bruckner's Symphony No. 4 in Dolby Atmos, performed by Anima Eterna and conducted by Pablo Heras-Casado, has received significant acclaim. Released by the prestigious Harmonia Mundi label, it was nominated for the German Record Critics' Award (Deutscher Schallplattenpreis), selected as an Editor's Choice in the renowned Gramophone magazine, and awarded an Exceptional rating by Scherzo, Spain's most respected classical music publication.

Prompted by a request from the producers of Final Fantasy to create a game score in Dolby Atmos, studio owner Steven Maes began planning to upgrade the facility's mixing capabilities to 7.1.4. After some in-depth discussions with his colleagues, they quickly agreed to install Neumann monitors to achieve the best possible results for their needs.

In the end, their 7.1.4 setup was composed of three KH 150s for the L-C-R speakers and KH 80 DSP monitors for surround and height reproduction, underscored by two KH 750 DSPs as LFE – for thunderous bass impact. What Steven really likes about the KH 80s is their networking capabilities, topped off by Neumann's proprietary room correction capabilities. As recommended by Dolby, the loudspeakers were placed equidistant from the listening position, while the Neumann MA 1 system helped to adjust the frequency response by adapting to the unique spatial conditions to achieve an ideal translation for the actual mixing process.

For Steven, using the LFE is critical to his work, much like building the foundation of a house. “Even if it's a cello, there's no reason not to use the LFE. In fact, it would be a shame not to! On the other hand, to use an LFE, you have to use an excellent one, and I think that's one thing we've done really, really well with this studio,” comments Steven Maes.

Links: https://www.motormusic.eu/, https://www.optionmedia.tv/

About Neumann
​Georg Neumann GmbH, known as “Neumann.Berlin”, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of studio-grade audio equipment and the creator of recording microphone legends such as the U 47, M 49, U 67, and U 87. Founded in 1928, the company has been recognized with numerous international awards for its technological innovations. Since 2010, Neumann.Berlin has expanded its expertise in electro-acoustic transducer design to also include the studio monitor market, building upon the legacy of the legendary loudspeaker innovator Klein + Hummel. The first Neumann studio headphones were introduced in 2019, and since 2022, the company has increased its focus on reference solutions for live audio. With the introduction of the first audio interface MT 48, and its revolutionary converter technology, Neumann now offers all the necessary technologies needed to capture and deliver sound at the highest level. Georg Neumann GmbH has been part of the Sennheiser Group since 1991 and is represented worldwide by the Sennheiser network of subsidiaries and long-standing trading partners. www.neumann.com

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